Briefing: Personal data from 200 million Chinese jobseekers exposed

What happened: Resumes of 200 million job seekers, including names, mobile numbers, and political affiliations, have reportedly been leaked in what could be one of the most significant Chinese data breaches ever, according to European bug bounty platform HackenProof. The 845 GB data set was most likely extracted from Chinese job portals, including 58.com, according to researchers.

Why it’s important: Personal data leaks and the illegal sales of personal information are rampant in China. In August 2018, detailed information from 130 million clients of hotel chain operator Huazhu was found to be up for sale online. Hong Kong flag carrier airline Cathay Pacific and a regional subsidiary disclosed last year that more than 9 million of their passengers had their personal data compromised in March last year. Chinese laws ban illegal sales or publication of personal information, but with the proliferation of online services in China, personal information is easy to come by.